In the past 15 years, the number of U.S. schools following a Mon­tessori curriculum has increased by 127%. Why such renewed interest in a teaching philosophy pioneered by an Italian physician in the early 1900’s?
   The fact is that Maria Montes­sori was a woman ahead of her time. The skills that are valued in today’s workplaces—curios­ity, innovation, critical thinking, and teamwork - are skills that Montessori students practice every day.
   In addition, longitudinal research has consistently supported the efficacy of a Montessori educa­tion. Yet within 20 miles

 

of our school, there is exactly one public Montessori school—ours. In that same radius, there are several private Montessori schools with average tuition between $10,000 and $15,000 per year, making this beautiful educational philosophy available to only a limited few who can afford it.
   Maria Montessori’s first school— Casa dei Bambini—served children of working parents in the slums of the San Lorenzo quarter of Rome. In a run-down tenement building, she demonstrated that all children had potential and that all children could learn when given the right support by adults.
   In that spirit, from the very first time that several parents began discussing the original idea to

 

open Willow Oak’s first preschool classroom, accessibility was a priority. Those founding parents made sure that the school was affordable. The Board of Direc­tors carried on that tradition by making a commitment to financial aid early in the school’s growth.
   When it was time to decide how to grow into an Elementary program, accessibility remained central to the conversation. On one hand, the school could offer “perfect” Montessori to the few who could afford private school tuition. On the other hand, the school could tackle the challenge of implementing authentic Mon­tessori in a public school setting accessible to all. The Board coura­geously chose accessibility.

  Willow Oak Montessori believes that children are best prepared for the challenges of the real world if their education occurs in an environment that reflects the diversity of that world. As such, we value and honor the diversity in our community, seen and unseen, including by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, ability, family structure, and religious affiliation. Here is a partial profile of our student bodies:

• The reported race/ethnic composition of our charter school students is: 80% White, 11% Multi-Racial, 5% Hispanic/Latino, 2% Asian, and 2% African-American. For the Children’s House it is: 73% White, 17% Multi-Racial, 7% Hispanic/Latina, and 3% African-American.
• While income is only one component of socioeconomic status, we know that 17% of our Charter School students would qualify for free or reduced lunch if they attended a traditional public school and 83% would not. In addition, 14% of Children’s House students receive financial aid from the school and 86% do not.
• While we have students everywhere along the ability continuum at both schools, 12% of our charter school students are classified as Students with Disabilities under the Federal IDEA legislation and 88% are not.

• Mixed-age classrooms that correspond with planes of child development
• Inviting hands-on Montessori materials
• Freedom of movement
• Guided freedom of work choice
• Respect for the unique needs of diverse learners
• Integrated peace curriculum

   Because of our commitment to keep the Children’s House affordable and the fact that charter schools do not receive any public funding for facilities, we are continuing our Capital Campaign called “Opening Doors to the World” to create a campus with inte­grated indoor and outdoor learning environ­ments for all of our students.
   A new 30,000 square foot facility will be located on a 15-acre parcel of land on Andrews Store Road in northeast Chatham County.
   One shared campus will provide space for 336 students, including three primary class­rooms serving children 3-6 years of age, one stand-alone kindergarten class, three lower elementary (1st-3rd grade) classrooms, three upper elementary (4th-6th grade) classrooms, and four middle school (7th-8th grade) classrooms.

 

   All of our classrooms will be large enough to support the space requirements of the Montessori philosophy, and will have inte­grated outdoor learning environments adja­cent to the indoor space. The doors to our classrooms will both literally and figuratively open our students to the world.
   We will have playgrounds targeted at each age group and plenty of natural space for outdoor learning and exploration. A multi-purpose room and central courtyard will provide space for com­munity gatherings.
   The initial building project contemplates three school buildings, but space for a fourth is included in the plan for future develop­ment as our development capacity grows. That fourth building could house specials classrooms, a gym, and/or other spaces that are not included in the first phase.
 

 
 “As the only well-established Montessori school in Chatham County, we are positioned to become one of the   premier schools of choice for families in the area who share our values.”

Martha Waller Campaign Co-Chair

Leigh Sweet Campaign Co-Chair

Click here to see our campaign's cabinet members

 

 
 "Full staff participation in this campaign reflects our commitment to create a Montessori learning environment  that supports an innovative, time-tested approach available to all kinds of learners." ~Susan

	Susan Johnstone Staff Capital Campaign Co-Chair		Karen Scriven Grandparent/Special Friend Capital Campaign Co-Chair
"This campaign isn't just about building a school; it's about building a future for our children." ~Karen

   It will take support and generosity from our whole community and some from outside of this community to help us open these new doors to the world. Further success with our capital campaign will allow us to fulfill our mission more fully while maintaining the very important goal of financial stability for the long term.
   The estimated cost of the building project is $5 million. Willow Oak Montessori seeks to secure additional donations and pledges by December 2017 so that financing requirements can be met and ground broken in time to open the doors to our new facility in January 2019.
   While these goals are ambitious, we are well on our way with generous support from our families, friends and others who wish to endorse our child-centered, vibrant approach to education. Funds raised through the campaign will be used as a down payment to secure desirable financing and to close the gap between operating funds available for mortgage payments and the actual payments required for the facility size we need.
   Moving both schools to one thoughtfully-designed campus and developing it to our needs means exciting and invigorating new

 

spaces for many more children to learn, grow, and explore.    It also means a greater diversity of educational offerings to better meet the needs of families in our community, including extended-day and after-school programs.
   We are many months into the detailed planning, designing, and financing of this project. We have the leadership, the staff, and the community support required to continue to create the reality we envision.

 

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